Vote to Preserve a Park

Twenty national historic sites and structures are in the running to receive $2 million in grants for preservation and restoration projects.

The sites competing in the 2016 Partners in Preservation: National Parks campaign—organized by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation—include pioneer cabins, watchtowers and scenic overlooks located in national parks from Alaska to Puerto Rico.

NPS photo by Michael Quinn

The Desert View Watchtower is one of the most prominent architectural features on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

A list of the sites appears below.

Voting Ends July 5

The grant recipients will be determined by popular vote. You can vote for your favorite parks through July 5 on VoteYourPark.org, the online portal hosted by National Geographic, the campaign’s official media partner. By voting daily, supporters can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Yellowstone National Park sponsored by National Geographic.

The national parks’ sites with the most votes at the end of the voting period will be awarded grants for historic restoration projects.

NPS

The Alcatraz Guardhouse and Sally Port were constructed in 1857. Rehabilitation work on Alcatraz Island is challenging, as contractors must ferry building supplies and ship over their own water source to the island, according to park officials.

The public is also invited to share their national park experiences on social media and celebrate these sites using #VoteYourPark and tagging @savingplaces on Instagram and Twitter posts.

Sites with Stories

"Since the inception of our national park system a century ago, the parks’ cultural resources have been central to the visitor experience and telling the full story of our nation’s diverse history," said Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO, The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

"Today, two-thirds of our more than 400 national parks are dedicated to cultural and historic significance."

While the Partners in Preservation: National Parks program has been established for a decade, this is the group’s first public campaign.

The Contenders

The national sites and structures vying for the preservation funds are listed below, along with brief descriptions.

Everglades National Park | Homestead, FLFlamingo Visitor Center: The visitor center is a distinctive example of Park Service Modern architecture and the Mission 66 building program that transformed America’s national parks in the 1950s and 1960s.

Grand Canyon National Park | Grand Canyon, AZDesert View Watchtower: The site features historically-significant American Indian murals and offers expansive views of one of the country’s most iconic vistas.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Tennessee and North CarolinaClingmans Dome Observation Tower: Built in 1959, as part of the Mission 66 program, the tower is the highest point in the park, offering visitors the best views of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area | San FranciscoAlcatraz Guardhouse and Sally Port: Built in 1857, the site was the first permanent U.S. defensive facility in San Francisco Bay and military prison in the country.

Governors Island National Monument | New YorkFort Jay Tropheìe D’Armes: Designed in 1796, Fort Jay’s arch served as the entrance to an active military fortification for 199 years and is topped by the earliest domestically carved military sculpture in the nation.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial | St. LouisNorth and South Overlooks: The memorial reflects St. Louis’ role in the westward expansion of the United States and the overlooks provide visitors with a connection between the Gateway Arch and the Mississippi River.

Joshua Tree National Park | Twentynine Palms, CAKeys Ranch: The ranch tells the story of William Keys, who, despite the desert’s unforgiving conditions, first permanently settled and prospered in the area.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site | AtlantaHistoric Ebenezer Baptist Church: Built in 1922, the church served as the spiritual home of Martin Luther King, Jr. from his birth to his death, and sits at the center of America’s Civil Rights Movement.

Minute Man National Historical Park | Concord, MAHargrove Barn and Parker’s Revenge Battlefield: On April 19, 1775, the opening battle of the American Revolution took place at this site.

Mount Rainier National Park | Longmire, WALongmire Historic District Search and Rescue House: The house was built in 1936 as part of one of the most extensive collections of Park Service Rustic architectural style in the country.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial | Keystone, SDBorglum View Terrace: The terrace stands at the site of Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum’s original studio and is composed of several of the former structure’s elements.

National Mall and Memorial Parks | Washington, D.C.Columbus Fountain: Built in 1912, the fountain is positioned at the grand entrance to Union Station, making it one of the first historic sites visitors see when arriving in D.C. by train.

Pullman National Monument | ChicagoPullman Administration Building: Built in 1880 as part of the nation’s first planned model industrial town, the Administrative Building is the focal point of the community—a testament to the American railcar industry, the rise of the labor movement and the Pullman Porters’ struggle for unionization.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park | San AntonioMission Concepcion convento and Father President’s Office: Built in 1755, the church and convento represent the largest concentration of Spanish colonial frescoes in the country and the origins of South Texas culture.

San Juan National Historic Site | San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Felipe del Morro garitas (sentry boxes): Completed in 1772, the garitas served as part of the defense system at El Morro, the largest fortress in the Caribbean.

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument | HonoluluBattleship Row Mooring Quay: The quay is one of the of the last remaining structures marking the location of the American battleship force during the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941.

Yellowstone National Park | Yellowstone National Park, WYBrink of Upper Falls Overlook: The overlook is a popular visitor destination at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the country’s first national park.

Yosemite National Park | Yosemite, CAParsons Memorial Lodge: Built in 1915, by the Sierra Club, the rustic landmark is one of the earliest stone buildings in a national park.

Zion National Park | Springdale, UTZion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel and Highway: Completed in 1930, to link Zion with touring destinations such as Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon, the 1.1 mile-long tunnel was carefully designed to blend in with the surrounding landscape.